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i have went thru roughly 5-6 starters on my 79 stock 350. It keeps giving every indication that solenoids are burning out. On a hot show day i have the only C3 that wont start after a nice long cruise. with outside temps in the 70"s or 80"s. enging temp very rarely climbs above 200 degrees. what gives? Then after 45-minutes to an hour later car starts right up like nothing was ever wrong. i have actually thrown the starter thru Autozones plate glass window, and also hit the Oreilly's guy in the back of the head with one. i need to know what gives before the cops arrive this time cause yes it happened again.. and the warning to leave the property has most likely expired . ( if it happens again is for sure gonna land me in jail this time around). HELP ME FORUM. i do not look good in prison blues.
Mofotribe,
I ran into this problem before, only to find a bad connection at the starter harness where it plugs in to the engine harness (bubba had done some of his fancy work there and also removed the fusable link at the starter)
It may also be a bad engine ground to the frame, seems like the starter has too much of a draw while the engine is hot
Sounds to me line like maybe too much heat on the starter. Perhaps shielding the starter better might improve starter longevity? High heat and electric motors don't get along well!
Are you installing remans or new?
O'Reilly's and Autozone may source their remans from the same supplier. And their new stuff may be chinesium.
Try a better quality part perhaps. Buy a new one from your NAPA dealer. Less expensive than bail bonds.
Is a GRD cable used from starter to block? Or a support bracket from starter to block? You would be surprised how many are missing that.
Most hot starter issues are not the starter at all but rather the solenoid. More specifically, type of solenoid.
The starter is encased in cast iron. The little solenoid is encased in tin with very important electrical contacts to complete circuits.
I have seen solenoids for ten bucks. Have seen them for forty bucks. What's the difference? The end cap on the solenoid.
Look for a brown ceramic unit, instead of the black plastic crap.
More heat resistance.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Jun 3, 2021 at 06:32 PM.
Your ground cable on a 79 is made of aluminum, bad idea number 1 side terminal batteries that leak acid bad idea number. I'd change that battery ground it is only about a foot long . If it isn't your problem now, it's gonna be. It gets progressively worse as acid leaks down the cable .
next time it won't start take a jumper cable from the negative battery terminal to the chassis. Bet it starts up.
Your ground cable on a 79 is made of aluminum, bad idea number 1 side terminal batteries that leak acid bad idea number. I'd change that battery ground it is only about a foot long . If it isn't your problem now, it's gonna be. It gets progressively worse as acid leaks down the cable .
next time it won't start take a jumper cable from the negative battery terminal to the chassis. Bet it starts up.
Thanks i dont know why i didnt come to the forum 4 starters ago. i will try this now.
Is a GRD cable used from starter to block? Or a support bracket from starter to block? You would be surprised how many are missing that.
Most hot starter issues are not the starter at all but rather the solenoid. More specifically, type of solenoid.
The starter is encased in cast iron. The little solenoid is encased in tin with very important electrical contacts to complete circuits.
I have seen solenoids for ten bucks. Have seen them for forty bucks. What's the difference? The end cap on the solenoid.
Look for a brown ceramic unit, instead of the black plastic crap.
More heat resistance.
All the typical ground spots are utilized it has a bracket still attrached, also the ground cable is in good condition so it appears. i think my next move will be to replace the grond cable.
I always tell the long and painful story of my 61 stock Chevy Impala with the same problem. Never figured the starting problem out. Now 50 plus years later, and a little wiser, believe it was the auto transmission switch (park/neutral) on the column. By pass your switch to see if that is the culprit!
You can also put in a smaller more modern high torque starter.
Assuming originality isn't important to you, and I have to assume it isn't if you're getting your starters from Autozone, get yourself a starter from a 1996 Chev full size truck. It's the modern small gear reduction unit. Better, lighter, easier to install, and most important, you won't tear your rotator cuff throwing it through a window.
Still a good idea to make sure your grounds are good.
Assuming originality isn't important to you, and I have to assume it isn't if you're getting your starters from Autozone, get yourself a starter from a 1996 Chev full size truck. It's the modern small gear reduction unit. Better, lighter, easier to install, and most important, you won't tear your rotator cuff throwing it through a window.
Still a good idea to make sure your grounds are good.
thanks sounds like a winner, i may need my shoulder at some point. i will start with the ground first and see how that works. i always wanted a gear reduction starter but was scared away because of the price and not being sure if the price justified the end results.
Head Scratcher
Assuming originality isn't important to you, and I have to assume it isn't if you're getting your starters from Autozone, get yourself a starter from a 1996 Chev full size truck. It's the modern small gear reduction unit. Better, lighter, easier to install, and most important, you won't tear your rotator cuff throwing it through a window.